error bars and standard deviation (2003)

hey, ive got a bar chart and i want to add an error bar to each bar to reflect its standard deviation. but at the moment excel will only let me change all of the bars so that the error bars are all the same for every bar in my chart. how do i do each one seperately? and which option do i choose so that i can type in the particular standard deviation for a particular bar?
thanks,
emily

Re: error bars and standard deviation (2003)

Welcome to Woody's Lounge!

You should create an extra column (or row) in your data table for the errors; this column can be entered manually or contain formulas.
Select a series in the chart.
Select Format | Selected Series...
Activate the Error Bars tab.
Click Custom, and point to the column with the errors for both the positive and negative errors (assuming thst you want them to be equal)
Click OK.

Re: error bars and standard deviation (2003)

Hans,

When I try to change the Y Error Bars on your example workbook, Plus, Minus, and None work, but Both only shows the Plus error bar, not the Minus. How do I get Both Y Error Bars to show? Most peculiar, since the Minus ones show just fine when Minus is selected. (The Format Data Series > Y Error Bars > Error Amount > Custom plus and minus boxes both have the error range of =Sheet!$B$2:$B$6.)

Re: error bars and standard deviation (2003)

Hans, I apologize for mis-speaking (or mis-typing): Instead of "error bars" I should have said "the little horizontal cross bar gizmo at the ends of the error bars". "That" is what was missing initially.